Goat Cheese and Honey Bites

I have a friend who is moving into fancy new digs, but for the time being is residing in a small but charming apartment with a postage-stamp sized kitchen This does not stop her from throwing the most fabulous dinner parties and getting together interesting people. It doesn’t matter that there aren’t enough soup bowls, or the salad plates don’t match, and the soup ladle got to do double duty as an ice cream scoop. That is my kind of party – food, friends, fellowship, lots of wine, and no attitude.

When I asked what I could bring, my friend answered in typical Southern Speak“ absolutely nothing but yourselves.” Well – I think we all know better than to show up at a party empty handed, but it was a last-minute affair, so a fridge and freezer search was necessary for quick inspiration.

Being able to use the first harvest of honey was a second inspiration. There is always goat cheese in the refrigerator, not only for salads and snacking, but to add a little punch to everything from vegetables to desserts. The garden is also bursting with fresh tarragon this time of year, both beautiful and delicious. And, in a lucky moment, a package of puff pastry was discovered in the freezer. AN APPETIZER IS BORN! These Goat Cheese and Honey Bites are a four-ingredient wonder, well, five if you count the pepper. Minus thawing the puff pastry this appetizer took less than 15 minutes to make – mostly baking time. But the really marvelous news is that everyone absolutely loved them – truly rave reviews from a friendly but tough crowd. They ate every last one which is a good sign in case you are with people who politely say they like something, and yet you find most of it is still on the serving tray when the party is over. That was not the case. These Goat Cheese and Honey Bites could not be easier to make.

Lightly roll out a puff pastry sheet to flatten it a bit and use a biscuit cutter to cut out little circles. One sheet yielded 24 circles. Poke them in the middle – add a pinch of goat cheese and bake for 10 minutes. To go to the party, I packed them in Tupperware and added the honey right before serving. The photo was taken quickly in that teeny tiny kitchen and when I finally got ready to take a real glamour shot, they were almost gone. Goat Cheese and Honey Bites proved to be the perfect cocktail nibble before moving on to delicious salad, a perfect rainy night stew, plus pound cake and ice cream. Every time I make these little bites I’ll remember a fun evening, making new friends, the delicious dinner, and the joy of cooking where ever you may land. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Honey Bites (Easy to double)

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry – thawed

2 oz goat cheese

Fresh tarragon (or herb of choice such as chives or thyme) snipped or torn into small pieces

2 Tbsp honey

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Lightly roll pastry to flatten and cut circles with a small biscuit cutter (If a small one isn’t available a jar or glass will be perfect).

Place circles on prepared sheet and poke each one in the middle with your finger to make a small indention.

Place a pinch of goat cheese in each circle and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with tarragon.

When ready to serve, drizzle with honey and top with a grind of black pepper.